Peterson Air and Space Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Peterson Air and Space Museum

Terminal building
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Established	1982 (1982)
Location	Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Type	Military aerospace museum
Colorado Springs Airport
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Area	8.3 acres (3.4 ha)
Built	1942
Architectural style	Art Deco, Moderne
NRHP reference No.	90001296
Added to NRHP	November 15, 1996

P-40 Replica outside the entrance to the museum

The PASM Air Park area by the City Hangar during the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) August 2015

The Peterson Air and Space Museum is an exciting place to visit in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is located at Peterson Space Force Base. This museum teaches visitors all about the history of air and space defense. It focuses on how the United States protected its skies and space over the years.

Discovering the Museum's History

The museum started small in 1975. It grew from a visitor center for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD. Colonel Donald Parson helped create this early version of the museum.

Exploring the Exhibits

The main entrance to the museum is through a special building. This building was once the original terminal for the Colorado Springs Airport, built in 1941.

World War II History

Inside this old terminal, you can find exhibits about World War II. These displays show how the base was used to train pilots. One important exhibit honors 1st Lt. Edward J. Peterson. The base was named after him following a tragic plane crash. The building also has a small movie room and a gift shop.

Outdoor Air Park Adventures

When you leave the terminal building, you enter the Air Park. This is where most of the museum's amazing aircraft are on display. You can even tour inside one of them, the EC-121 Warning Star! There is also a special memorial here for brave soldiers who received the Medal of Honor.

Inside the Hangar Exhibits

Two hangars in the courtyard have been turned into museum buildings. One hangar used to store aircraft for a fancy hotel called The Broadmoor. It is now used for museum work and is not open to the public. The other hangar was used for public transportation by the old airport. This hangar now holds many of the museum's main exhibits.

Cold War and Space Defense Displays

Inside this hangar, you will find many interesting things:

• Displays about how the Air Defense Command kept watch during the Cold War.
• Old computer equipment from the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.
• A part of a Peacekeeper missile called a payload shroud.
• A special training simulator for a Peacekeeper missile launch center.
• An exhibit about the 460th Space Wing, showing a Vela satellite. It also has a model of a Defense Support Program satellite.
• Interactive displays about how the Air Force watches space and warns about missiles.
• A special Nuclear Hotline Telephone from the Cold War era. This phone connection actually helped start the famous NORAD Tracks Santa program!

Aircraft on Display

The museum has many different types of aircraft. Here are some of the planes you can see:

See also

• CAF Rocky Mountain Wing Museum, Grand Junction, CO
• Colorado Aviation Historical Society, Denver, CO
• Pueblo Historical Aircraft Society, Pueblo, CO
• Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, Pueblo, CO
• Spirit of Flight Center, Lafayette, CO
• Vintage Aero Flying Museum, Platte Valley Airpark Hudson, CO
• Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, Denver, CO